Sharm trip report - a very long one

[mania]

The second arch on Thomas Reef Canyon is probably the best place for diving near Sharm. I was there a week ago. By the way, Mania, with what dive center did you dive?

I know - I did it during Christmas. this is why - as I wrote - I was unhappy but I didn't want to go there only with my buddy.
To answer your question - I dive with Canadian - Egyptian diving center. It's not a very big one but a very good one. My friends and I are diving with them for more than 3 years.
They are called "Blue Sea Diving Center" and are located in the Unisharm Hotel (close to the Alf Leilla - a night-dream of the worst confectioner). I like them also because all those big centers look to me as factories of divers and I want to be treated more personally. And with Blue Sea I get it. But I don't want this to sound as the add...
Mania

 

[chippy]

Mania

How did you get along with the flooded camera?

Is it still dead (or drunk)

 

[mania]

It's still in the repair shop, so I'm afraid it's drunk.
Seriously - with all this vodka inside (yeah I know I should have drunk it) I took it to the repair shop and was so busy lately I didn't have time to check with them. But I'll let you know immediately I find out.

But..... I have a new one!!!!! Although only the camera, still no housing. I got Olympus C5060. I know, it's old..but that's all I could afford. And still it's expensive - 750 USD.

Mania

 

[chippy]

Hey, the C5060 is good one....I started out my UW photography with a C5050.....you should enjoy it, they're capable of some very good pics!

And er, 4 months and 1 week till my next Sharm trip!!! Can you tell i'm excited!!

 

[mania]

Finally I called the service. Camera will be working!!!!! Hurray!!!!
The only problem that was not yet solved is the build in flash. We don't use it - we have a separate flash light but I'm not sure whether the separate flash is not dependable on the build in one.

As the Olympus C5060 - well it will take me sometime to learn it. Till now the cameras I had were idiot cameras as I'm an idiot in taking pictures.
I'll keep you posted about the developments.

Why wait 4 months?????
Chippy - I'm planning a short trip somewhere in August. Plan is to fly in on Wednesday and be back home on Sunday - this is how charters are flying from Warsaw. The cost of it with the 4* hotel is 300 USD. A cheap flight from London to Warsaw is 40 euro.
Maybe you could think about it???
Mania

 

[chippy]

That's good news.

I'd love to go sooner, but I've used the rest of my holiday allocation for the August trip which is a shame!!

 

[divebunnie]

I must have been there at the same time as you Mania, I spent the bulk of May out in Sharm doing my Divemaster course.
Funny enough, while I know I was there to learn, I didn't see any of the great stuff you did!! I't soooo not fair!
Some students with our college doing their IDC did have fun with a dolphin however, whilst diving off the beach during their exam tho! While they were doing their skill cycles, it was grabbing their fins, and playing with a puffa fish right in-front of their faces! Apparently someone has the whole thing on video, I'll have to see it when I go back for my IDC.
Who were you diving with out there? I was with Ocean College.

 

[mania]

I'm always diving there with Blue Sea (UniSharm Hotel). This is not a very big diving center - half Canadian half Egyptian (as all diving centers in fact). I like them very much because they are not "divers factories" as some of the big centers in Sharm are.
BTW if anybody thinks that any LDS there is not Egyptian is wrong. According to the Egyptian law you have to have a local partner and half of the staff have to be Egyptian. These are necessary conditions to get the license and be tax free - yes diving centers are tax free!!!!

So somehow we were really lucky. First of all we almost didn't meet any other divers - seems that everybody had different plans than ours - and you know that sometimes you go diving and there are 50 diving boats.... We also met dolphins on the way back from Tiran.
Mania

 

[Winton]

Wow, great report, thank you Mania. I am a Camel Dive diver from way back, it sounds like the second arch at Thomas Canyon is pretty deep, you must hit deco; are you an instructor? In any event I know it is an incredible dive.

 

[mania]

Wow, great report, thank you Mania. I am a Camel Dive diver from way back, it sounds like the second arch at Thomas Canyon is pretty deep, you must hit deco; are you an instructor? In any event I know it is an incredible dive.

No I'm not an instructor but I did deep diver specialty. The second arch is not that deep as everybody thinks - the third one is really deep. Anyway I love this place - even the first arch... And yes - you do hit deco there.
Mania